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County Commissioner Loretta Smith Will Run for Dan Saltzman’s Portland City Council Seat

Hours after Dan Saltzman announced he'd retire, Smith announced she was entering the race.

Commissioner Loretta Smith (Multnomah County)
By Rachel Monahan

Hours after City Commissioner Dan Saltzman announced his plans to retire, County Commissioner Loretta Smith announced she's planning to run for his seat.

Smith, who faces term limits for her county seat, can't officially enter the race until January without losing her spot on the county commission.

"The opportunity to continue to fight for the most vulnerable on the Portland City Council would be an honor and a privilege," Smith says in a carefully worded statement.

That will mean two black women will be facing off to replace Saltzman.

Jo Ann Hardesty, a former legislator who runs the NAACP of Portland, is already in the race.

Here is Smith's announcement.

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